Bluestar's Prophecy/Chapter 5
Chapter description :On Bluepaw and Snowpaw's second day of apprentice training, their mentors Stonepelt and Sparrowpelt take them out hunting. Before they leave the camp, Stonepelt changes the bedding in the elders' den. Bluepaw worries that she might need to be helping her mentor fix the elders' nests, but the gray tom tells her that she's fine and that he wanted her to be fresh for her hunting practice. Bluepaw is disappointed that she didn't get to tour the territory with her sister the previous day and see Fourtrees, but Snowpaw replies that it was boring and that they just saw a lot of trees. :Sparrowpelt calls for the two apprentices, and he and Stonepelt lead them out of camp. The warriors discuss where to hunt, and decide upon the Great Sycamore, believing it would be the easiest location for Bluepaw and Snowpaw to find prey. Stonepelt warns the two young she-cats not to expect too much of their first hunt. When they arrive at the Great Sycamore, they position themselves in a bush that it is upwind from where the prey will be, and they wait for it to come out. Stonepelt explains that the first lesson of hunting is patience, to which Bluepaw questions why they cannot just shift through the leaves at the tree's base. The gray tom responds that doing that would scare the prey away. :A few moments later, a mouse appears from one of the roots of the Great Sycamore, and Snowpaw immediately leaps out to get it. She rattles the bush and kicks up the leaves, scaring off her prey. Sparrowpelt pads out after his apprentice, laughing that while Snowpaw is very enthusiastic, the white she-cat's technique needs work. He adds that speed doesn't count for much when hunting mice, and that skill is more important, which is why they need to master their stalking. Stonepelt agrees with the dark brown tabby and decides that they should teach the apprentices how to stalk before having them try actual hunting. The mentors instruct their apprentices on how to do the hunter's crouch, and the two young she-cats try it. :After practicing all afternoon, Sparrowpelt says that it's time to leave, and they head home. Bluepaw is reluctant to leave, wanting to get in a few more tries. As the blue-gray she-cat follows the three other cats, she suddenly spots a squirrel. Using her hunter's crouch, the apprentice silently stalks towards the squirrel, which doesn't notice her. She pounces, knocking the squirrel down and killing it with a bite to its neck. Stonepelt turns around, alarmed, and asks her what is going, and his apprentice straightens up with the big squirrel hanging from her jaws. When Stonepelt, Sparrowpelt, and Snowpaw realize that Bluepaw has caught the squirrel, they are surprised and proud of her for getting it. :When the patrol arrives back at camp and the Clan learns of the squirrel Bluepaw caught, the cats are stunned by how large it is and also by how the new apprentice caught it on her first try. Moonflower brushes against her daughter, congratulating her for her catch. Snowpaw pipes up that she will catch something tomorrow, to which Sparrowpelt reminds his apprentice that it isn't a competition. Stonepelt takes the blue-gray apprentice aside, telling her how proud he is of her, and he invites her to come to the Gathering that is to be held that night. Bluepaw accepts his offer, but is apprehensive about attending it. :That night, when it is time to go the Gathering, Snowpaw is disappointed that her sister gets to go and not her. Thistlekit is also upset at being excluded, questioning why Bluepaw gets to go when he's almost as big as her and he doesn't. Windflight reminds his son that he has not been apprenticed yet and nudges him back towards the nursery. Bluepaw, seeing the older apprentices Patchpaw and Leopardpaw, asks if she should stick near them, but Moonflower suggests that she do that next time, once she knows how to behave. The silver-gray she-cat then explains to her daughter the truce at the Gathering while also cautioning her not to make friends with any of the cats from the other Clans or say anything that could weaken ThunderClan. :As Pinestar gathers the cats and prepares to leave, the warrior Adderfang asks the reddish-brown tom what he will say about WindClan's recent prey thefts. The Clan leader responds that he will remind his rival Clan leaders that prey inside the ThunderClan border is theirs, but that he will not openly accuse WindClan of stealing. He then leads the patrol away, and Moonflower guides Bluepaw towards the entrance. Snowpaw calls after her mother and sister, asking the blue-gray she-cat to relate to her everything that happens at the Gathering afterwards. Characters Major *Snowpaw }} Minor *Sparrowpelt *Leopardpaw *Thrushpelt *Fuzzypelt *Windflight *Moonflower *Weedwhisker *Thistlekit *Adderfang *Tawnyspots *Stormtail *Patchpaw *Sunfall *Pinestar *Swiftbreeze }} Notes and references Category:Bluestar's Prophecy Category:Chapter subpages Category:Super Edition arc